Kinetic Spirits: Finding Penance
by Fidchell
Summary: With Malgam in a comatose state, Magdalene, newly emerged from the shell of evil and rage that was Malice, aims to restore him to good health and find redemption through a perilous journey in the Realm of Legends. A side arc for Kinetic Spirits written by Raksha, story by Fidchell and Raksha.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Realm of Legends

Lightning flashed and thunder boomed loudly over the rough seas. The violent storm stirring up the waters into a nearly unassailable quagmire. Were it not for the Mewtwo's psychic barrier she very much doubted that she would have been able to make it this far.

Malice looked down at the Sylveon she held cradled in her arms. Her guilt and fear of losing him had driven her this far, spurred on by some unknown force, a latent instinctive drive which drew her towards what she knew was safety and help.

Another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky illuminating the darkness. Magdalene could see the faint outline of what appeared to be land off in the distance. It was strange though, almost as if it were floating in the air above the turbulent seas. The roar of thunder that peeled through the sky louder than any sound she had ever heard.

In her heart, she felt that something did not want her there. Something was trying to keep her from returning to this place, though she was unsure what it might be.

Her mind wandered to her little ward. How could she have let this happen to him? He was the only person to show her any sort of kindness and compassion. And when he came back to her in her darkest hour, she repaid him like she did all others, with anger and destruction.

Why had he come back? She hated humans for what they had done to her, and honestly, she knew that he had not been fond of them when she had been with him. But he had left her for one, one that loved him a great deal in order for him to become as he was now. It was a love she had long since forgotten.

Another flash of lightning split the sky, illuminating the world around her. Through the dense clouds, Malice could just make out the jagged outline of a flying-type Pokemon. She recognized it as that of a Zapdos, though she was unsure how she could even know that. She had never seen anything like it before, and yet it felt so familiar.

In the sea below she could feel another presence as well, that of the sea's protector, another great bird. These strange creatures were so rare that most would consider them to be myths, yet they seemed to be converging here, following her back to this strange place.

Magdalene tried to ignore the others around her. Their presence was unnerving, to say the least, though they did not seem to actively be trying to stop her. Her gaze now was fixed on the shore of the strange land which was shrouded in a strange grey mist.

At this distance, it was clear that the land itself was not an island in a traditional sense. That would have meant there had once been contact between it and the sea floor. This, however, was something entirely else. The lowest of the dangling stalactites was thousands of feet in the air, and the peak of the highest mountain seemed to scrape the clouds.

"I'm home," Magdalene whispered, a single tear streaming down her cheek.

What this place was, or how she knew it was her home was a mystery to her. But deep in her gut, she knew that this was her home.

She honestly had several places she could have called home. The temple which had been built in her honor, the laboratory where she had become what she was now and where Malgam had built his little army, even the cave where she had been imprisoned was a home of sorts. This, however, was her true home.

As she drew closer though her heart began to sink. The land was grey, still, lifeless. Almost as if it were a photograph or still image, a perverse painting done by an artist who understood technique but lacked the will or ability to bring their art to life.

Fear began to grip Magdalene's heart. That most primal and terrible fear which no being, no matter how powerful, is not exempt. It was the fear of the unknown, the fear of danger, that instinctive foreboding which kept sane individuals safe.

Still, something called to her, pulling her onward. She had known fear before, and she knew she would feel it again. What she could not bear was the feelings of guilt and loss that she felt now.

Passing by the dull grey beaches, and diving into the strange lands beyond Magdalene was dismayed to see that it was not better. Plants, trees, the very earth itself was all as grey and lifeless as the shores. The passing of the Mewtwo Y, causing only the slightest of disturbances, causing some of the more delicate flowers to crumble into ash.

More disturbing though were the first signs of other Pokemon, a Butterfree, grey, lifeless, frozen in place. Were the Mewtwo not sure that this was real life, she would have been certain now she was in some sort of photograph.

Looking down at Malgam, Magdalene worried that he too may be affected by this strange land. The Mewtwo Y focusing greater energy into her protective field as she pushed onward toward her yet unknown destination.

Things had been different since her time in the temple. The horrors of the full effects of the humans tampering combined with the strange energies of that dark crystalline structure had driven her to the beyond insanity. Now though, this new body, much more like she had been before, it was intimately connected to all the life around her, and it was this that disturbed her most.

She could feel the life around her, but it was almost as if it was frozen. She could not even feel the thoughts of the creatures around her. Only the pain of Malgam, as he struggled with his injuries.

Still, there was another force somewhere on this forsaken land, and it was calling to her. A voice of sorts that drew her. It was comforting and familiar, pushing away the fear and doubt, giving her strength that she greatly needed at this time.

Magdalene pushed forward, the strange vegetation was starting to get thicker, and trees were becoming more numerous. It was a paradise of sorts, and Magdalene wondered just what it would have been like if it were not frozen in time like it was.

A small pink blur shot through some of the trees ahead. Magdalene pausing a moment unsure of what she had seen at first. It was the first sign of life she had seen of life. Whatever it was, it did not seem hostile, and the Mewtwo was in desperate need of help.

"Hello?" Magdalene shouted, looking around to see if she could catch a glimpse of the strange blur again. "I need help. My friend is very hurt."

The only response was the wind rustling through the strange grey trees. Magdalene took a moment, trying to feel for another mind, for another presence, but she could sense nothing.

"Ghosts," she cursed under her breath, taking a few moments to steady herself before pressing forward. "I thought I was rid of the specters of my past."

The Mewtwo Y shook her head, pressing onward. If there was anyone stupid enough to attack her, she would deal with them. She had dealt with many powerful and terrifying creatures, and she would not let anyone hurt Malgam.

Pressing through the thick trees the Mewtwo was surprised when she came out into a large clearing. A small pond of water surrounded a small round island, trees were clustered around the area like a barricade of nature. And in the center, a strange Pokemon which Magdalene both recognized and marveled at the same time.

It was a strange deer-like creature, grey and frozen like all the other life she had seen. Strange gems adorned the creature's antlers, growing through them in some places. It was these that drew Magdalene's attention as they still showed with vibrant colours.

Setting Malgam down at the shore of the little lake, making sure he was safe and secure. That strange creature was what she was here for. She had no idea how she knew this, or why she felt such kinship with the creature. Unlike the Zapdos earlier, and other Pokemon she could recognize even without ever seeing them, this creature's name did not simply pop into her head.

Magdalene, took a deep breath, feeling apprehensive in the presence of the creature. Still, she felt a great need to be closer to it. The Mewtwo Y floating across the shallow body of water. It was strange, with her shield down it seemed to her that her presence was bringing colour to the world if only a little bit.

"Maybe I can help it," Magdalene whispered, as she approached the deer, hand outstretched reaching out for this strange yet familiar being.

Magdalene's bulbous fingertips drew near that snout, her psychic energy pulsing through them, colour starting to return to the deer. But before she could make contact something impacted her, spinning her around, a thunderous boom sounding a moment later.

"What the?" Magdalene gasps, trying to right herself only to be struck again.

This was a deliberate attack and one that was happening so fast that she could not even see it. The following boom let her know for sure this time that it was happening at supersonic speed. Very few Pokemon could move at this speed, so whatever it was was indeed quite powerful.

Magdalene now had the timing down, there was a split second between each attack, barely enough for her to react to it if she focused, but the problem was that something drew that focus. It was a worry for the strange creature now behind her.

As yet another attack sent her spinning the Mewtwo Y threw up a barrier surrounding the strange deer-like Pokemon. The glowing purplish pink bubble had strength enough to absorb some of the most brutal attacks any Pokemon could use, and with it there she could now focus on her assailants.

Taking a deep breath, Magdalene focused herself. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as all her senses were tuned to their peak. The Mewtwo able to feel, hear, smell, touch, and sense everything around her. Malgam's small crumpled body on the shore, safe, which meant these attacks were directed at her.

Her attackers, now coming into focus as they streaked about, two dragons one blue and the other red. The twins Latios and Latias were known for their speed and coordinated attacks. Both were coming in once more for an attack.

Lastly, a small presence, lurking in the background. It was the Celebi, Evelyn. Magdalene was unsure how she could know that, and yet she felt that the two of them had once shared a tight bond. Watching the forest guardian of time help in this attack felt deeply like a betrayal.

The crimson and azure streaks of the twins once more crossed paths with the feline, causing her to once more spin wildly in the air. The shield flickering momentarily as she lost her coordination.

"They're moving faster than they should be able too, likely their personal time is being sped up by her," the Mewtwo Y growls, starring over at the Celebi who was now moving towards Malgam. "I need to finish this up before they hurt someone."

Once again Latios and Latias circled around for an attack, their blazing speed nearly imperceptible to the naked eye.

Had she not been as focused as she was on Malgam and the strange Deer, Magdalene might have been able to fully dodge the two attacks. But as it was she only managed to mitigate the blow to herself. The two dragons speeding by having only grazed their target.

"She's starting to figure it out. Hurry up!" Evelyn shouted to the twins, both of them pausing only long enough to nod. "Keep her off me long enough that I can get to the Sylveon."

Magdalene's eyes widened in rage, watching as the little pink sprite began to weave its way across the glade towards Malgam. The two dragons redoubling their efforts, attacking with such speed and ferocity that Magdalene could not keep up even with her augmented senses.

Magdalene growled angrily, unable to move due to the relentless assault, unable to defend herself as there were others who could not defend themselves, and unable to risk getting close to Malgam lest either Latios or Latias miss her and injure the crippled Malgam. It was a no-win scenario, and that simply made the Mewtwo Y mad.

Another blow to the body found the injury glowing hot pink, followed by another and another, as psychic energy began to build up inside the Mewtwo. She had not felt this way before. It was not like her rages, this was directed anger, focused, she was still in control. The indignation and resentment that these Pokemon would attack her when there were parties who could not leave, and what was worse they were going after Malgam.

As another blow hit the Mewtwo Y once more Magdalene snapped. Her body being engulfed in bright pink light, drawing in radiant psychic energy from all around. With a primal scream of rage, Magdalene let loose a terrible blast of concentrated and directed energy at the two dragons, both of which were sent flying into the nearby trees.

"Latios! Latias!" Evelyn shouted, watching the two Pokemon are flung into the grey trees. "You'll pay for that you monster!"

Magdalene let out a long low guttural growl, her feline traits starting to show through more. There was no doubt now that these Pokemon viewed her as a threat, and they were going to react in kind.

"Evelyn, stop this madness at once!" Magdalene roared, catching the Celebi off guard with her demand.

Evelyn paused a moment to try and make sense of this. How did this creature know who she was, and why had she brought this injured Sylveon? How had she even come to this place in the first place?

Magdalene held firm, not moving away from the strange deer which she now protected. She would not move from between it and her foes so long as they posed any threat too it. So great was this instinctive need to protect it she almost felt as though it were a mother protecting her young. The strange thing was though, she almost felt as though it may be the other way around.

"I don't know how you know who I am," the Celebi finally replied, her voice wavering in the face of the foe she faced. "But I'm going to make you wish you had never come here."

"I very much doubt that," Magdalene scoffed, her wounds healing before Evelyn's eyes as she used recover. "Your little ambush failed, and your friends won't be helping. Run away now and I'll pretend this never happened."

"You should be the one running," Evelyn mumbled, a small shield forming around her and Malgam.

Magdalene raised an eyebrow at this. The barrier did not seem to be as strong as her own. She might even be able to break it if she was so inclined, though that would put Malgam at risk. Seemingly a stalemate between the two.

The problem was, though, that this was no stalemate, and Evelyn had more reinforcements than the Mewtwo could ever have imagined.

It was subtle at first, but Magdalene quickly began to detect them, one by one, flickering into existence, like little candles. Small portals forming all around as more and more Celebi entered into the glade.

Magdalene began to realize what was going on a moment too late, as the last of the myriad of alternate dimensional Evelyn appeared. Each had come from another timeline, another what if scenario which split into its own infinitely branching tree.

There was no way to shield both herself and the strange creature from all the Evelyn. Still, if she did nothing, there was no way she could defeat them all either.

There was a flash from one Celebi, and then another, and then another. Thousands of psychic missiles raining down like fiery hail. Each tiny dart tearing through the Mewtwo's flesh, burning small holes as they burst through her.

Magdalene shrieked in pain as she felt these tiny darts tearing through her. It was not just her flesh which was being destroyed, but the attacks were destroying her temporal integrity, each strike causing her place in time to become unstable.

Magdalene struggled not to pull the barrier around the strange deer around herself. She had to defend it against the tiny darts pelting her.

Magdalene mind was starting to break, past, present and future starting to blur in her mind as her particles were being scattered throughout all history. Flashes of images, her and Malgam first meeting, Evelyn and a Lucario in armor, her own body burning up in a fight for her life. She could no longer tell what was going on.

Something came to her though, a realization as she felt herself being torn apart. Nothing was hitting the shield, not even a single stray blast. Evelyn was being very specific in her targeting, and it was not the creature behind her that she was aiming at.

Concentrating with all her might, Magdalene ripped the shield from around the creature, forming a massive bubble around herself. The blasts still focused on her now rippling on its surface, straining the Mewtwo's focus, but at least she was able to recoup to a degree.

The blasts that hit the shield were energy, an energy that Magdalene could use, manipulate, heal herself with, and whats more store. With each volley more and more energy was being stored in the Mewtwo Y, more even than she realized she was capable of taking.

Closing her eye, Magdalene took a deep breath. Her wounds healed, she was ready to return the favor that had been bestowed on her. Nothing, or no one, was going to keep her from Malgam.

Evelyn was not blind to what had been happening. She could not only feel, but see, the massive build-up of energy around Magdalene. Her mind following the pathways through time to reach the only conclusion that was possible. Each of the myriad versions of herself reaching the same conclusion almost simultaneously, ceasing their attack on Magdalene.

This pause in attack though would neither dissuade Magdalene from her attack nor would it save them from their impending doom. Only one could be saved, and the one which was chosen was the one which guarded over Malgam.

Combining their strength together, the myriad Evelyn formed a barrier. One that could rival even Magdalene's own. It was only a matter of moments, each of them knew, before the bubble burst.

There was a blinding flash, then all sound vanished as the very air was pushed away, even before the actual blast occurred. Then there was chaos, and power, and death, Evelyn after Evelyn disintegrating into atoms as the Mewtwo's powers exploded outward. It was the pure energy of an exploding star, ripping through the small army, and then stillness.

Magdalene, spent from the violent outburst slowly drifted to the ground. Looking down at hands she could no longer feel. In their place was pure energy, radiating in roughly an approximation of what her hands had once looked like.

It took a great deal from her to perform that blast, and now she was unsure it had been worth the effort. Her mind forcing healing energies to try and repair the damage that she had done to herself.

Anything that had been alive in the clearing was gone, everything except for Evelyn and Malgam. The Celebi trembling in fear as she looked upon the monstrous being.

Something was different though. Through the crackling energy which radiated all around Evelyn could see things as they had been. Vibrant and alive, the strange creature seeming to stir from its eternal rest for a fleeting second before the grey of the world returned.

Battered as she was, Magdalene stepped towards the Celebi, her eyes fixed on her. They did not bear the wrath of old though. There was anger, but disappointment, and even a bit of doubt. Emotions that the Mewtwo Y was not used to feeling, let alone sharing.

"What in the dark realms were you thinking Evelyn!" Magdalene growled, stepping towards the Celebi only to pick up Malgam and cradle him to her chest. "You could have hurt... hurt..."  
Magdalene paused, slightly confused as she turned back to the strange creature, still unsure of what it was. It frustrated her greatly as most every Pokemon was something she could easily identify.

"How do I even know your name?" the Mewtwo Y finally says, her anger fading. "Why am I here? What is that creature, and why does it feel so familiar and yet so alien?"

Evelyn paused, all questions she had wanted to ask, yet the fear and the anger she felt towards this strange creature had prevented her from doing so. The Celebi still felt the loss of each of her other selves. Not just the loss, but the actual pain they felt in the brief moments before their death.

"You... you killed them," Evelyn finally managed, looking up at the Mewtwo in disgust. "All of them, they're gone."

There was a pang of guilt in the Mewtwo's gut. She knew that she had in fact murdered all of the temporal clones, but in her mind, they were not real. It never occurred to her that they were, in fact, people, so real that they could be considered family.

Neither of the Pokemon spoke for a moment. Both of them angry and hurt. Magdalene floating over to check on the two dragon's that she had batted away earlier.

Evelyn, floated over Malgam, protecting him from the Mewtwo Y. It was a strange thing that both would be worried over the others charge.

"Yes," Magdalene finally replies, turning away from the Lati twins. "I didn't realize they were real. I can easily make illusions and fakes, so real that they can even do damage. I am sorry."

"Sorry doesn't bring them back!" Evelyn shouts, tears welling up in her eyes. "They had lives, and you snuffed them out without a second thought! Was that what happened with this poor soul?"  
Magdalene stopped, honestly considering the question she had just been asked. She was, in fact, the reason for Malgam's condition, one she could not even fix.

"Can you help him?" the Mewtwo asks, not sure the Celebi would. It was worth asking about none the less. "

"That doesn't answer the question," Evelyn says, though her own good heart said that she had to help the Sylveon. "But I can only slow down what is happening, only Xerneas can heal him."

"Who is Xerneas?" the Mewtwo asks, turning towards Evelyn. She was still dancing around the question of what had happened to Malgam.

"Answer me first," Evelyn says sternly, the time Pokemon rubbing Malgam's face softly. "Did you do this?"  
"I didn't mean too," Magdalene replied, floating over to the strange creature. She seemed to be looking for strength or inspiration from the stone looking creature. "He came to help me, and I lashed out at him and all my other friends. I nearly killed the only person who ever truly loved me."

"You're good at that aren't you?" Evelyn said scornfully, she at least knew now what it was she was dealing with. "You just kill without thinking, don't you? Just like any agent of destruction."

"Agent of destruction?" Magdalene asks, turning to Evelyn. "What are they? And who is Xerneas? If I can find them, maybe they can help him."

"That is Xerneas," the Celebi stated, pointing to the strange deer-like Pokemon. "God of life, Mother of Magdalene, The Beginning, The Alpha."

"Magdalene?" the Mewtwo asked, looking at the Celebi, the Mewtwo Y starting to understand better who she was.

"She's a mew, mother of all Pokemon," Evelyn said, her expression starting to soften as she began to realize that Magdalene only wanted to save the Sylveon. "Nobody knows where she is. She left for the mortal realms eons ago."

Magdalene paused. She knew these Pokemon because she was their mother, mother to all of them. Evelyn too must have been a daughter of hers, though their relationship had to have been closer than others.

Malice turned to Xerneas. The Mewtwo was still exhausted from the fight, but she had to try to heal it. Her hands pressed against its chest as she tried to use recover on the strange deer.

Her energy, coursing from her very core, flowing into Xerneas. The Mewtwo could feel deep in the creature the spark of life. For a moment, the colour seemed to be returning.

But it was only a moment, the Mewtwo Y, even trying to push beyond her limits, could not revive the creature. Her tired frame falling to the ground, gasping for air.

"It, it's too much," Malice gasped, trying to pick herself up. "It resists me. That blight, that death, it resists me. It's the same thing affecting Malgam, but thousands of times stronger."

Evelyn took a moment to take all this in. Whoever this creature was, she was not the typical servant of destruction. Evelyn now was not even sure she was a servant of destruction any longer. No one whose energy was entirely destructive could have even managed what Malice had just done.

"You need to go west." Evelyn finally says, her voice slow and heavy. "I will keep an eye on Malgam while you are gone."

"What's in the west?" Malice asked, turning towards the direction of the setting sun.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A Fleeting Cinder

Magdalene gazed upward, the sky of this strange land seemed never to change, even the sun which hung ominously in the westward sky seemed fixed in place.

The Mewtwo Y took a deep breath, trying to center herself. It had been nearly three days and she still had not traversed the full length of the island. By all accounts, she was unsure if she had even been making headway.

Looking back towards the east, the shore could barely be seen off in the distance, marking the area where she had first come to this strange land. She was certain that even the storm she had fought her way through would not have been able to hide this much land.

There was a sense of doubt that lingered in Magdalene as she pressed onward. Evelyn had told her that the answers she sought could be found in the west, but that seemed a dubious claim now. She had found nothing yet, nothing but the same pervasive greyness that covered the land.

If the Celebi had wanted to be rid of her, she had stumbled upon the key to doing so. The Mewtwo had never been able to say no to a mystery, and this place was far more tempting than even what had lay behind those sealed doors at the human labs. Worse still was the fact that she could see it all, touch it, interact with it, and still know nothing about it.

Steeling herself once more though, Magdalene began her westward journey once again. Making her way towards the island's center. Evelyn had told her a few things about the geography, though Magdalene was having a hard time understanding them.

Her directions were very specific though. The Mewtwo was to head westwards, towards the distant mountains. There was only one way through them, that being a valley carved by a river which flowed uphill. Once on the other side, she would have the answers she needed.

Even now Magdalene could see the mountains, soaring into the sky and beyond sight itself. She had asked Evelyn why she could not just fly over them or go around. At the time the Celebi's comment that she would understand when she saw them seemed to be more cryptic nonsense, but it was clear now.

The mountains themselves seemed to be infinite, sprawling across the island in either direction further than sight itself, and higher than imagination allowed. As the Mewtwo Y gazed upon them she had a deep, almost subconscious feeling that they transcended her understanding of space itself.

The feeling of surprise though had long ago worn off. She had not even been here long, and yet she had become acutely aware that this place did not follow the rules of the world she had left behind.

The mountains though were not the only strangeness that Magdalene had begun to take only as, what one might call, normal. The land itself continued to grow ever greyer as she traveled to the west. A phenomenon that she had thought impossible at first. Color itself was becoming a fleeting memory, only her purple flesh reminding her that it was ever real.

The land, the plants, and the other pokemon though had grown ever more lifeless, and ever more colorless as she had traveled westward. Magdalene did have to admit though, there was some part of her that looked upon this as a strange stark beauty. It was almost like a masterpiece of the most macabre kind of art.

Passing an Abra which lay against a nearby rock, the Mewtwo could not help but muse on how surreal it looked, almost hyper-realistic. Without color, its armor segmented body, fine furred face, every little texture seemed to pop out, creating this sensation of being more than it was.

Magdalene could even feel it's little mind, the Abra's massive, yet undeveloped, psychic powers radiating outwards in waves. The telepathic radar that would alert it to danger and allow it to teleport away.

Yet, when the Mewtwo Y had approached, it remained where it was. Its mind was panicked, trying to teleport, and yet stuck in that strange stasis unable to do so.

She wondered to what degree its psychic powers had allowed it to stay as lucid as it was. Other pokemon she had found seemed to have been trapped in thought, most of them unaware that anything had changed.

When she had begun her trip into the west, pokemon were far more abundant, trapped in that grey wooden state, like Xerneas. Now, however, they had become sparse, almost as if they avoided the area around the mountains.

Magdalene once again looked to the west and those strange peaks. It would be another day or so before she would reach them, at least if things continued the way that they had. But at least she was making some sort of progress. With one last glance back to the sea, she once again began her journey in earnest.

* * *

Magdalene sighed as she finally reached the mountains, near enough the valley that she could hear the river which Evelyn had spoken of. It had been a week since she had started, and what had seemed like it would only take a few days more had drug on for an additional four.

The Mewtwo's stomach growled, her mouth dry. She had not found anything to eat or drink along the way, and even her immense psychic powers could only do so much to stave off the needs of the body.

"At least there will be something to drink soon," The mutated feline muttered as she continued towards the sounds of flowing water.

Magdalene still was having a hard time wrapping her head around the confusing geography of the island. Her initial view of it had been that it was small, likely no bigger than Cinnabar in the Johto region, but now it seemed to be larger than that region in its entirety.

What was worse, in her mind, was the dead stillness that penetrated every inch of the island. The grey had become so pervasive now that the Mewtwo Y was beginning to question her existence. It felt like she was the illusion, the dream, in an otherwise normal world.

Magdalene knew she was losing her grip on reality. The trip itself seemed testament to that if for no other reason than how long it took. Still, her journey would soon be coming to a close.

Rounding the corner into the valley though made the Mewtwo once again question everything.

Indeed there was a river that flowed uphill, or more accurately it looked like a waterfall in reverse. The water washing from a great gaping abyss and into the infinite expanse above, branching out into a myriad of streams that seemed to flow to the stars themselves.

"How?" Magdalene started, as she pondered the mystery that was before her. "How can human's have never found this before?"

"Of all the questions you could ask, and yet it is humans that still plague your mind sister," came a deep rumbling voice, as though it were the grinding of two stones. "Why can you not let the past go?"

Magdalene turned, hands glowing with psychic power, ready to blast whoever it was who had addressed her if needed. Yet her anger ceased as she looked upon a familiar and yet strange at the same time. The same feeling she had felt with Xerneas.

Before her stood a massive dragon of sorts. Its massive body stood on all fours, deep blue with metal plating gutting from it like armor. Its long neck topped by an elongated head, giving it the appearance of wearing a crown or mitre. Its piercing red eyes staring at her and through her.

"You're older than me, aren't you?" The Mewtwo said, lowering her hands. She felt somewhat at ease and yet still guarded around the ancient creature. "I can tell as I don't know what you are."

"You're starting to remember," the creature replied slowly, his gaze fixated on the strange mutated pokemon. "Are you Malice, or are you Magdalene?"

"I'm... not sure at the moment," Magdalene replied. She knew her name once again and had shed much of the hate she had felt, but she felt deep down inside was that same darkness.

"Now I know where we are," the creature said, giving a sense of certainty that the Mewtwo Y could not quite comprehend. "I am Dialga, lord of time, and I am indeed older than you are. For in the beginning was the great god Arceus, and through him came the universe. My brother Palkia, master of space, myself, and..."

"I came here to find help for my friend, then Evelyn, a Celebi sent me west to find answers. I need to fix Xerneas so that he can heal him." Magdalene interrupted. The Mewtwo finding her mind wandering to Malgam and his welfare. "Celebi are time jumpers, and if you are lord of time you are who she sent me to find."

"You are as impatient as ever," Dialga said, looking at the Mewtwo almost as if smiling. "Evelyn is my helper, as you were once Xerneas'. But She did not send you to find me. The help you need is beyond the river. To the realms of my brother Giratina, the great distortion."

"Then I need to be going," The Mewtwo said turning towards the river, unsure how she was supposed to cross.

"You will have to go through," Came the reply to the question unasked. Dialga stepping beside her. "But before you go, tell me this. What is it like being mortal now?"

Magdalene paused. She had not thought about it before. It was not even something she had questioned. She had forgotten her life as a mew. Even now she could feel her body slowly withering away, slipping further from the force of life to the eventual death that took all mortal beings.

"I hadn't even considered it," the Mewtwo replied with curt honestly. "I always just thought I was mortal, the idea that as a mew I would have lived forever. It doesn't matter. That life is gone."

"Mortality is a greater gift than most realize," Dialga solemnly replied looking to the river. "You will learn that sooner than you think."

Magdalene turned to respond, hoping to further clarify on the statement. It was gone though, not a trace to be found anywhere.

"Like a fleeting moment," the mutant feline said slowly as she turned to the river and plunged headfirst into the raging currents.

* * *

Magdalene could not understand what was going on. Even with all her power, she was not one who knew how to traverse time. All around her scenes flashed as she tumbled upward toward the stars.

Magdalene wondered just what it was that she was seeing, it was so disjointed that it made no logical sense to her. Had it just been her own life flashing before her eyes it might have made sense, but it was a tangled web of events, that seemed intertwined around some great darkness.

One scene was an aging Delphox, the one which she had killed, comforting the Lopunny who had twice defied her. Two small Buneary clung to the rabbit-like pokemon's legs as she knelt on the ground crying.

"Interesting, I did not think my memories would be here," came an aged yet warm voice, Magdalene turning about trying to find the voice in the river.

Her eyes finally fell on a golden light, which slowly formed into the familiar shape of a kindly old Delphox. Magdalene frowned as she looked on the figure of the Delphox she had so callously murdered.

"Oh don't be that way," the Delphox said with a bit of a smirk. "Dwelling on the past won't change it you know."

"You're dead," the Mewtwo said bluntly, almost a matter of fact statement. "You can't be here."

"My dear you're in a river of time, in a realm beyond realms," the old sage said laughing as they flowed further down the river. "Of all the places I could be, here is the most likely."

"And yet that isn't why you are here, is it?" Magdalene said, her eyes narrowing as the old Delphox spoke. "How are you here, and why do you haunt me?"

"I'm not haunting you," the elderly sage said simply, pointing a luminous golden finger, the river sweeping them towards yet another point in time.

Magdalene watched as a scene of the night she and Malgam had come to sanctuary unfolded. The old Delphox standing over the witch, his wand in hand about to finish her. The Mewtwo teleporting in from behind, having just dispatched any number of pathetic defenders. Her arm outstretched, a single finger pointed at the Delphox.

"You can sense me," Magdalene says slowly, watching the Delphox's grip on his wand shift. "Can't you?"

"Of coarse I could," The Delphox said with a smile. "I knew even if I tried to defend myself from you I'd be killed by her, so I took a different path."

Magdalene watched as a single pinpoint beam shot through the Delphox's chest. A flash of light that pierced the night and brought the entire scene to a standstill. Yet, it was what the Mewtwo had not seen that night which more intrigued her.

A brief golden flash, filling the forest, illuminating the world like midday before settling on all who were in the clearing.

"I allowed you to kill me," the Delphox said, letting the scene close, the river taking them onward. "So that I might gift everyone there with a portion of myself."

"Why?" Magdalene asked, somewhat confused by the sacrifice. "What would that even do?"

"I could sense that this wasn't the end of this conflict," the Delphox said as he let the river flow further along. "This was only going to be the beginning, and all of you would have parts to play. You all need guidance, protection, and perhaps a little love. So I gave all those things to you, in varying portions, each according to the need I felt."

"So, what?" the Mewtwo asked as she looked outward, the fog of time starting to thin. "You gave me the most?"

"Oh no," the old Delphox laughed. "Honestly you got very little. Your power would see you through most problems. Truth be told, Malgam may have got more than his fair share, but I can't be sure why."

Magdalene grunted, turning from the Delphox as the pair settled on a rock as a family of Lucario played happily in the ruins of a long-forgotten kingdom. The Mewtwo looking on in wonder as the scene played out.

"I know her," Magdalene spat as she looked upon Hildegard with this strange male Lucario clad in armor. "She dared to stand against me, twice. It enraged and yet intrigued me that she would dare defy a creature with such power."

"Oh my, and this hasn't even happened yet." The golden Delphox chimed, rubbing his chin with a mischievous grin. "Hildegard is a stubborn soul, I'm so pleased that she will blossom into such a beautiful flower. It would have been easy for her to follow Ingrid down a dark path."

"Malgam's witch," the mutated feline spat as she tumbled through the river further. "She was weak, unfocused, you could have ended her. I felt your power."

"Yes," came the reply, the Delphox's voice now taking on a tone more of instruction than warmth. "But let me show you where I would have ended up had I not checked my power."

The currents of the river seemed to tug the Mewtwo in another direction entirely, the scene changing from one of the happy Lucario family into a hellish world bathed in fire and darkness.

It was like the sanctuary, built upon the old ruins of an ancient human kingdom. This one though was far from the place of healing built by the old phox. It was cold and dark, ruled by fear.

"What caused this?" Magdalene asked, watching as two Lopunny, likely the children in the other scene, drug a female Delphox forward. "Which fork took you down such a twisted road."

"Fear," the golden Delphox said, watching as the scene started to shift away, the currents dragging them elsewhere before the scene could play out. "I never was tempered by the murder of Ingrid trainer, and when faced with a threat I couldn't understand, I turned to higher powers."

"What powers are they?" Magdalene asked, the world around them once again changing.

They were in the ancient temple where she had hidden after her first defeat. The Mewtwo Y watching her past self as she unleashed all her rage and hate upon the poor Zoroark who had "rescued" her after that defeat.

"You already know them," Ignatius said calmly, watching a far to familiar scene play out before him. It was one he had played a part in as well at one point in his life. "And you will have to face them, your sins, and yourself."

"They aren't my sins," Magdalene spat, the scene turning to the torture she had been subjected too. "These are the sinner, they defiled innocence and goodness for their twisted whims."

The Delphox said nothing, watching as the poor mew tried to fight back. Her powers kept in check my machines and dark pokemon. The humans gathered around her, cutting into her, pumping her full of chemicals.

"They're not all bad you know," the Delphox said, guiding the vision away from this horror and to another.

On the ground, lying in a pool of his gore, a young man gasping for breath. A spear rammed through his gut pinning him to the ground. Magdalene could not help but feel some pity for the young man. His life was taken in such a cruel manner.

"He's a soldier. He chose that fate," the Mewtwo scowled, trying to turn away. The scene would not break. "And even if he had no choice, even if his cause was just, how does that show he's not like the..."

Magdalene paused, in shock as what she was seeing. It was herself, her true self, the mew she once was floating towards this man. She could not hear what they were saying, but it seemed as though they knew each other quite well. The little cat-like goddess shedding a tear.

"I, don't remember this," the mutated feline said, trying to keep the scene in focus as it faded away. "Is this something that may have been, or something I've forgotten."

"Neither," the Delphox said with a cryptic smile. "But no matter, we'll soon be arriving, and you must prepare."

And with that the Delphox wand shown with a brightness that exceeded that of the sun itself, pushing the Mewtwo backward, and out of the river of time.

* * *

Magdalene flew from the twisting curves of the river with such force that she tumbled head over heels for several feet, landing in a bush of thorns. The sharp edges of the plant cutting her purple flesh, dripping crimson blood on the ground.

As she groaned and stood up she gasped at the sight that met her eyes. The land was dead and blighted, nothing but the most noxious of weeds and thorny brush. Bug, dark, and ghost pokemon all scurried away, hiding in any crevice or crag that they could.

Magdalene blinked a few times at the sight, it was so strange, and yet it somehow felt normal as well. More normal than the grey world that she had just left behind anyhow.

Looking down at her wounds the Mewtwo was shocked to see small flowers blossoming from where her blood had begun to pool. The bright vivid colors looked just as unreal here as the grey stillness had in the other world.

"Curious," Magdalene thought as she used recover to heal herself. "Where did these come from?"

"From you, my dear," came a deep and chilling voice. It seemed to be all around and yet nowhere at the same time. "Your blood contains the very essence of life itself. It is as alien here as death is to your lands."

Magdalene froze. The Mewtwo's body radiating a protective barrier, though in her heart she knew it would do nothing for her.

Looking around the Mewtwo finally spotted the source of the voice. A massive insect-like dragon perched like a massive centipede over the river. The golden crest was the only truly discernible feature against the grey rocks, which its body shared a great deal of color with.

"Giratina I assume," Magdalene said slowly, lowering her shield. The ghostly energy radiating off of the strange dragon was so strong that she knew that the barrier would do little if anything. "I can't tell for certain, you're so ancient that I don't recognize you as a child of mine. But your brother said this was your realm, it seems likely you'd be its gatekeeper."

"You were always brilliant," the dragon replied, its strange voice reverberating throughout the realms. "So much promise in you, both for life, and death. It is why I tolerate you here now. As the mother of all you brought forth mortals, and with them came death. So, in essence, you are the mother of death itself."

"Where am I?" Magdalene asked, looking around the desolate lands. "Surely not where I was. Or is this another time, is this what happens if I don't stop the grey?"

"There is an old saying my dear," Giratina said with a deep, unsettling chuckle. "Curiosity killed the cat. You are where you began. This is still your home, but you have moved from the world of the living to the world of the dead."

Magdalene paused for a moment, her mind reeling with realizations. She knew that she had once been mew, mother of all, but to realize that it was she who had brought mortality into the world was a lot to take in.

"You think that the form you wear now is an abomination," Giratina continues, sensing the dawning on the Mewtwo's mind. "It is not, it is simply the ultimate manifestation of who you are. Both life and death twisted together into a mockery of both."

"It's not who I am, it never was," Magdaline spat, her muscles twisting and her body reforming into the powerful and unstable X. "I was made this by humans, they're the reason that I'm this way!"

Giratina laughed, knowing full well that the Mewtwo had not even realized the transformation she had just undergone.

"You can become nothing that you aren't already my dear," the ghostly dragon said simply. "In you resides all of pokemon kind, from the beginning to the present and beyond. But when you ceased being a force for life, life stopped progressing."

Magdalene looked down at herself, the Mewtwo seeing the massive hands of her most destructive self. This was Malice, this was not her, not anymore.

"This came from that blasted crystal, it isn't part of me, no more than what the humans did is," she spat, trying to calm herself, focus her rage, and remember why she was here.

"My crystal?" Giratina replied with a bit of a laugh. "It can't do anything more than show you as you truly are. And you, Malice, are the mother of death."

Magdalene took a deep breath, centering herself. Her thoughts turning to Malgam, her one true friend. This body had done nothing but hurt him, and she would not let it do so again.

As her mind began to focus her body once more shifted to the smaller Y form, once more remembering why she was here.

"Your brother, Dialga, he said that the help that I need to fix Xerneas was here," Malice said, a small stir of anger still in her voice, but it was fading. "Are you who I'm seeking?"

"No, your destiny is still farther west," Giratina said, looking towards a massive spire of crystals in the distance. "It was interesting to meet you like this my dear. It is a shame we shall not see each other again."

Magdalene turned, those ominous words filling her with dread as she started towards the crystal spire.

* * *

Malice paused as she arrived at the massive crystalline structure. Her heart dropping as understanding dawned within her.

The spire was not a simple geological formation, but, a massive palace, constructed of the same black crystal which she had discovered within the temple. Darkness swirled about like a fog as all light that touched the many facets of the gem-like walls vanished from existence.

Before her stood a massive gate, or something approximating a gate, though it was more like an impassable clustering of the dark crystals.

Magdalene shuddered. With no light, the place felt cold, devoid of any kind of warmth, almost like a tomb of sorts.

"I don't want to be here any longer than I have too," Malice muttered under her breath as she raised her arms, releasing powerful blasts of pure energy at the crystalline fortifications.

This, however, turned out to be in vain, as the crystals absorb the energy as readily as any other source of light.

"What a foolish child you are," came an all too familiar voice, a sickening reminder of her past.

Turning around Malice saw what she expected, and yet different somehow. The old Delphox which she had killed leaned weakly against one of the crystals. His eyes bandaged over, yet the bright glow of them still showed through the ragged cloth. His left arm hanging loosely at his side appeared to be nothing more than cinders.

"Why do you still haunt me?" Magdalene asked solemnly, looking at the Delphox. "What message do you have for me now?"

"Oh, you've been speaking to my other self," the decrepit Delphox said with a harsh laugh. "No my dear, you see we are not the same he and I. Sure we may have the same body, same soul perhaps, but we are not the same."

She could feel his mind, and it shared none of the serenity of the one she had known, had just spoken with hours before. Indeed he radiated coldness and fear, like the flickering of a dying candle blown in the winters wind.

"You're the one I saw in the river," Magdalene said slowly, her mind racing back to the scene she had seen unfold. "You're the one who let fear lead you to a dark future. But how are you here?"

"All timelines, all realms, all of reality are connected to this island," the Delphox said gesturing to the world around her. "It is an anchor point for everything, and all things are here at all times."

"So why are you here now?" the Mewtwo asked, feeling quite at unease. "Are you the ghost of things yet to come, here to warn me of my evil ways if I don't repent?"

"Oh my dear, I'm no ghost." the Delphox laughed as he lay his cindered hand upon the black crystal beside him. "For that to be the case, I'd have to be dead. And I, most certainly, am not the dead one here."

"Threatening me?" Magdalene said chuckling a little as she floated over to the Delphox, circling the blind creature. "That's new, most creatures cower in fear of me, yet here you are with the brazen audacity to threaten me."

"I doubt very much most know just how weak you are right now," the Delphox said calmly, his cindered arm being raised in a vain attempt to touch her. "Your body is tearing itself apart from the sheer power you possess, much like my own."

"How could you possibly know that?" Magdalene continued, backing off from the attempted touch. Something inside her made her very fearful of this dark Delphox. "You aren't nearly powerful enough to probe my mind or body, psychic typing or no."

The Delphox rested his dead arm on the nearest crystal, the cinders flaring up before dying out as the monolithic mineral spire absorbed what little heat was still in that arm.

"You remember these don't you?" the dark Delphox asked with a dead calmness. "You came in contact with one recently."

"The crystal?" Magdalene asked, scoffing a little at the Delphox. "Yeah, it made me crazy. I tried to kill everyone around me."

"While you were tapped into its power, I was tapped into you," the Delphox said simply, smirking at the Mewtwo. "Your rage, your power, they were glorious. A shame you were too weak to realize your true potential."

"And what was that?" Magdalene replied cautiously, knowing now full well that the Delphox likely knew more about her than she did. "What true potential did I squander?"

"Why, the extinction of all life," the Delphox said plainly. "Not only in your world but in all worlds. As the mother of us all, you had the potential to take it all back."

"You would have died as well," the Mewtwo said curtly, cutting the blind Delphox off. "You don't seem overly concerned about that."

"I may have... fibbed to you earlier," the Delphox said with a small laugh. "While I'm not yet dead, I'm not entirely alive anymore either."

"What does that even mean?" Magdalene asked backing away slowly.

"Quite simply dear that I live on a razor's edge," the Delphox replies, his cindered arm once more starting to glow, or perhaps absorb the light like the crystal next to him. "I need life energy to continue to burn, or I will fade away into nothingness. I had burned through most of the energy of my world and was about to lose hope when I felt your presence."

"You feed on life?" the Mewtwo said, her heart sinking as if she had learned of a dear one's untimely demise. "So what you wanted to feed on me?"

"Yes, but more I wanted to feed on what you represent." the dark creature replied. "From your fragmented memories, I learned what you truly were. Mew, mother to us all. What's more, I learned where you came from. A realm of limitless life energy and all I had to do was to find it and take it for my own."

"You," Malice stammered, her anger rising. "You're the reason that..."

"Your friends in the realm of life now slumber in eternal darkness," the Delphox laughs, the cruelness of his words punctuated by the glee he got from them. "That even now the only thing keeping the world from turning to ash is you? Xerneas couldn't stop me, child, what makes you think you can."

Malice had heard enough. In a fraction of a second, the mutated mew raised her hands, unleashing a massive beam of pure energy directly at the Delphox. Her mind flashing back to the moment that she had taken his life before.

Guilt and fear pricked at her heart, but she dared not let up. Something was not right here, and it had nothing to do with the murder which she had committed.

With a final scream, the Mewtwo poured all her might into the blast, rocks melting, any nearby plants catching fire, any pokemon in the area disintegrated into ash. Magdalene felt great pain at the loss of life, but more would follow if she let up.

Finally, as she felt that she could give no more she ceased her assault. The brightness fading back to the dull and dim light which had permeated the land, and there was nothing but deafening silence.

Turning to face the gate she had only half a heartbeat to react to the crystallized fist that was directed right at her face. Magdalene barely getting her barrier up in time, a massive crack forming on the protective bubble as she was thrown backward landing on her back.

There, standing across from here where she once had been was a crystal-covered reflection of her, though it was of her X state, its entire left arm seemed to be covered in the strange black crystals which were littered all around. The strange creature looking down at its fist for a moment before turning its gaze back at her, grinning wickedly.

"So this is the power of a god," the cold voice rang out, it sounded eerily reminiscent of the Delphox she had attacked just moments before. "You know, I was to be death's champion before you came along. But they saw your power and discarded me like a human might discard an unwanted hatchling. One that just doesn't have the right temperament or appearance. So very fickle."

"Champion?" Magdalene gasped, struggling from the blow. "I don't understand."

"Considering life has not chosen one in millennia that is unsurprising," the X said, its body motions seemed unnatural, as if it were just created and was still trying to learn. "The champions of life and death are mortal paragons. Beings who so embody the attributes of their lords that they in some way become attuned to them, taking on their aspects and power as their own.

"What are you?" Magdalene panted, mending her force field. Her energy was all but spent in the blast, and now she had a much worse fight on her hands. "Why are you attacking me?"

"Why, to kill you of course," the strange Mewtwo says flexing his massive hand, becoming accustomed to the power it contained. "Then perhaps they'll remember me, they'll want me again."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Magdalene panted, forcing herself back upright. "But I have to get in there. I have to save my friend."

"Friend?" the Mewtwo asks half laughing. "My dear you have no friends. Beings like you and I can never have friends. Our responsibility to the world is too great to be tied to such petty things."

"I'll never leave him," Magdalene growled, her eyes glowing with an anger she had never felt before. "And I'll do whatever it takes to rescue him."

The strange Mewtwo growled, charging faster than the eye could track. Magdalene though was ready, teleporting behind the enraged crystalline X at the last moment, its fist pounding into the ground causing tremors to reverberate throughout the desolate land.

New life surged in Magdalene, her body reinvigorated with her desire to keep Malgam safe, to keep everyone safe. This thing was every bit her darker half, and if it were not stopped here and now it would not stop until life itself were extinguished.

Magdalene took the moment she had gained from her ruse to attack, pulling off chunks of rock and crystal and hurling them at the other Mewtwo with such speed and might that they ignited much like a meteor entering the atmosphere.

This foe though was no pushover, striking at the debris with punches and kicks so powerful that they turned the projectiles into dust.

Unlike any other fight she had been in, Magdalene knew that there was a real possibility that she would be defeated. She was fighting an equal here, one with as much power and drive as she had ever had. It frightened her, a feeling that she had not truly felt in a long time.

The crystal Mewtwo struck back. Its right arm extending to unbelievable lengths, smashing into her barrier and forcing her back to the defensive.

Magdalene wondered how that thing could have mastered that body so quickly. Its movements were refined and controlled, unlike the rage that she had felt. It made it harder to fight.

As another punch came flying towards her, Magdalene rolled to the side, dodging the blow and getting the shadowy X in her sights. Reforming her barrier into a lens before letting loose a beam of raw energy towards the other Mewtwo.

The beam shot towards the dark creature with such speed and intensity the X had only a moment to react, raising it's crystal arm up to shield itself.

Magdalene did not let up, the beam crashing into the shadow Mewtwo, forcing it deep into the earth with such force that the entire land shook, cracks forming in the crystal fortress.

As the beam faded, Magdalene sighed, falling towards the earth. Looking down at her hands her lavender flesh had burned away from the intensity of the beam, leaving only glowing purple energy.

Trying to focus, Magdalene used recover, only to find that the flesh remained burned away, the energy that constituted her being slowly dissipating into the aether.

Pulling herself to her feet, the Mewtwo slowly turned towards the crystal gates, now badly damaged from the fight. It would take a great deal of effort to bring them down, but she knew that she could at this point. She just needed a rest.

But rest would not come, a chilling laugh filled the air causing the Y to turn back to the smoldering crater she had just made. The shadowy X pulling itself from the still glowing hole, its crystals badly cracked, slowly falling away.

"I'm impressed," the dark creature said, standing up in preparation to attack. "You almost hurt me."

Its eyes fell upon Magdalene's hands, slowly fading, the glow now but a fraction of what it had been moments ago.

"It took that much power and you couldn't even," the dark Mewtwo began mockingly, only to be interrupted by a loud crack and a crash. The crystalline left arm shattering to pieces revealing the cindered husk beneath.

Magdalene stared back partially in disbelief as the dark Mewtwo look at its arm. Its guise had been broken, rage filling its face as ever more of its facade began to crack away.

"Couldn't even what?" Magdalene panted, her voice now the one to take on the mocking tone. "Couldn't even take on an old Delphox? I killed you once, and I'll do it again if I have to."

"You'll never have the chance." the Delphox growled, bits of crystal falling from his face revealing his true self. "I still have enough time to finish you off."

"Then stop talking and bring it." Magdalene retorted, readying herself for the last of it.

The dark Delphox leaped forward, crystals falling from his person as he used the last of their power for his final attack. His right arm, still covered in a solid enough coating to resemble the X's curled in a fist ready to strike.

Magdalene steadied herself, bracing her tired body for what she had to do. As that fist was about to collide with her, she once again teleported behind, allowing the dark Delphox to continue onward, its fist smashing into the cracked gates destroying both in the process.

Magdalene once again raised her arms, her hands glowing with golden light as she fired a single pinpoint blast at the disoriented Delphox. The beam finding its mark piercing through the creature's chest and passing through. The dark creature collapsing on the floor gasping for air, the cinders on its arm spreading over its body like cancer.

Magdalene gasped, struggling forward. She had precious little energy left, and she needed to make it inside before something else found her.

Stepping over the dying creature, the Mewtwo paused a moment. Only a small portion of the body had yet to burn out. She sighed, feeling a deep sorrow at having to once again kill the old Delphox, but it had to be done.

Turning from the burnt husk Magdalene took a deep breath panting hard. The golden glow around her hands was fading fast, her energy almost entirely spent.

As she sat there catching her breath, there was a creaking, groaning sound. The Mewtwo turning just in time to see the cindered remains pushing itself up. Its left arm reaching out with surprising speed.

"Don't let it touch you!" Came a voice, a golden glow covering Magdalene as she recoiled.

The warning came too late though, the cindered arm grabbing her own. The cindered husk regenerating its flesh and fur as her flesh burned away.

A golden aura surrounded the Mewtwo, forcing the husk back, but enough of her life had been siphoned that it once more stood on its own two feet. A twisted thing half dead and yet half alive.

"I can help you, but," the voice said, sounding sad as she recoiled in agonizing pain. "Even if I do you won't survive."

"What do you mean?" Magdalene asked, her body wracked by pain. "What do you mean I won't survive?"

"You've spent all your energy in the fight," the voice said, as the golden glow around her began to fade, "I'm the only thing keeping you alive at this point."

"He's weak, we can just kill him properly this time." the Mewtwo gasped, watching as her flesh finally stopped burning.

"He feeds on life," The voice replied, the faint golden glow breaking free from her and forming as the old Delphox in front of her, shielding her from the creature. "If he were to consume you, the genesis of all life, then he would be unstoppable."

Magdalene collapsed on the floor, watching as the golden glow of the elderly Delphox launched itself at the dark mockery of itself.

"You will not have her," the elderly sage growled defiantly. "I banish you from this place sacred place. No longer may you enter into the realms of life and death! Begone fiend of the dying flame!"

Magdalene tried to reach out, to help, but she was too weak. Her power spent, her essence fading fast she could only watch as a golden flash filled the crystal hall.

As the light faded she lay there alone, both Delphox had vanished.

Magdalene rolled over gasping for breath, her eyes unfocused. It seemed to her as if a massive bird were descending upon her, its red and black wings spread in what seemed to be an invitation for an embrace.

"Your time here is done mother," Came the soft feminine voice, the bird descending upon her. "Join me in my loving embrace."

"I can't," Magdalene coughed, fighting for breath. Her words were raspy as she found it hard to speak. "I have to save Malgam, I have too..."

"No more words mother," the Yveltal cooed softly, landing beside the injured Mewtwo. "You have done more for him than you realize. Now rest, and worry not for the affairs of mortals any longer."

"Malgam, I'm sorry," the dying feline gasped, a tear running down her cheek. "I guess I won't get to say, goodbye..."

Magdalene exhaled, her body going limp as she breathed her last breath. The Yveltal's wings gently covering her as her world began to darken and she passed from this existence. A single ember of psychic energy floating upwards towards the sky, drifting on a gentle spring breeze back towards the east.


End file.
